Lemongrass Tofu Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce
Crispy pan-fried tofu is drenched in lemongrass sauce, caramelized and served over rice with veggies and rich peanut sauce to make these flavor-packed Buddha bowls.
Servings: 4
Calories: 631kcal
Ingredients
For the Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- About 3 tablespoons coconut milk, from a can
For the Lemongrass Tofu
- 1 4- inch lemongrass stalk, cut into 3-4 pieces
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 14 ounce package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
For Serving
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
- Chopped scallions
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh basil
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Begin by making the peanut sauce. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl, thinning with just as much coconut milk as you need. Taste test and adjust to your liking. Set aside.
- To make the tofu, start by placing the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, and sambal oelek into a blender. Blend until everything is finely chopped and well mixed. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the mixture into a bowl, pressing genly with a spoon to draw out as much liquid as possible.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with coconut oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. Cook for about 12 minutes, flipping once or twice, until the tofu is browned and crispy on multiple sides. Pour the strained liquid into the skillet over the tofu and allow it to simmer until most of the liquid has cooked off and a thin coating remains on the tofu.
- Divide the rice into bowls, top with tofu, cucumber, peppers, peanuts, scallions, mint, cilantro and basil. Drizzle with peanut sauce and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 65.7g | Protein: 24.3g | Fat: 32.3g | Saturated Fat: 12.4g | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 13.5g | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 6.8mg